Sooner or Later
by aliceeeebeth
Summary: Yet another fic about 2x11. SPOILERS for that ep. DANDYDANDYDANDY.


Sitting on the floor, being forced to fondle herself to slurp what was left of her wine bra and feeling very sorry for herself, Mindy wallowed. Last Christmas had been ruined, this Christmas had been ruined... maybe she should stop setting up these elaborate plans in order to impress a guy - but, thinking that, who was she kidding? She was Mindy Lahiri, and at the back of her mind she knew she'd manage to pick herself up and try again. Maybe not with Cliff, but with another one of New York's eligible bachelors.

Admitting to Danny that she was a pathetic loser was something she always tried to stop herself from doing, but it always ended up happening. He rarely _got_ it, yet he was the one who came after her to check she was okay and to check that she wasn't doing something silly, like writing a love letter to Chris Pine on his stationary (which she hadn't even been tempted to do. Nope, not once... okay maybe it was a little tempting). So she always had to explain why she was so upset, and because there was usually alcohol involved it just ended up with her crying, or at least tearing up.

_"I think I have something that might cheer you up, from your Secret Santa." _

Inwardly Mindy sighed, knowing that it'd be just another thing that had been left lying around the office, or a set of fairy lights that she had bought for the party - though, that wouldn't be such a bad thing because Mindy always said that you could never have too many fairy lights, especially in December.

_"Sometimes the best gifts don't cost anything." "I guess, if you're like a poor mouse in a Christmas special." _It was definitely going to be a pen that had his bite marks on it, and she was already planning her witty comeback and incredulous snort. Danny could be so predictable sometimes.

But then the momentary pause in conversation was filled by Timbaland doing what Timbaland does best - introducing a track in a robotic, rhythmic way. And that's when Mindy got confused.

_"When you first started working here you used to play this nonstop - it was the first thing about you that ever really annoyed me." _She didn't really have time to be offended by that because the dancing started.

Mindy _knew _that Danny could dance - she regularly imagined him and his little brother doing routines in front of the television, and when she met Richie she figured that had actually happened. Of course, it had been a shock when he'd brought out his skills that time when they went clubbing, but she'd promptly forgotten about it and wrapped herself up in the mess that was Josh. And right now, it was a shock that he was dancing for her. And that he was dancing to a pop song from the noughties. And that her Secret Santa was actually her present.

But the biggest shock of all?

Was how much it turned her on.

...

_"I know, it's stupid. I can get you a gift card or write you a personal check... don't worry about it." _

Danny's heart was in his throat as he turned around to switch off the stupid music. (The stupid music that he'd listened to over and over for the past 2 weeks, to the point that he regularly found himself humming it while waiting for his next appointment.) What had he been thinking? (He'd been thinking that Mindy would appreciate it, and maybe laugh, and seeing as she was "heartbroken" at that moment, she could use that laugh.) Now she was going to tell everyone in the office and they would laugh at him, just like they always did. (Not that he cared what they really thought - truth is, he just couldn't bear the thought of Mindy thinking he was dumb.)

As soon as he'd pulled Mindy's name from the sparkly hat that she'd probably bought at some kids store, he knew he was in for a struggle. Ever since she'd stayed over that night, he'd been trying to figure out a way for him to tell her how much she meant to him and how he was really glad they were friends... He refused to let himself think further than that.

So he wracked his brains, refusing to buy her anything Christmassy (even though she would totally appreciate it) and wanting his gift to be special. And then it clicked. That dumb song - the song that she had obnoxiously sung around the floor for the first month that she started working with him. The song that was heard way before her face appeared, the first time that he actually considered leaving the practise and working in a job that required no human contact.

After consulting Richie on how to Google choreography properly (and even remembering to delete his browser history this time), he set about preparing the minute of dance. He wasn't even sure when he was going to get a chance to show it to her, especially when she was obsessing over Cliff and her plan. But when her wine bra had a surprise effect on him and her plan started falling apart (he was a little disappointed about her performance not happening), and the wine bra was slowly being deflated... he figured that tonight was a good enough time as any.

And so he just started doing it. And he tried not to focus on how she was reacting to it, knowing that would just put him off and make him mess up, but occasionally he couldn't stop himself making brief eye contact with her. But she was smiling, which helped him a little - though she still had tears in his eyes and definitely looked a bit confused.

Something about her smile though stirred something within him and he added in a final move, lightly brushing her chin with his hand. But then the adrenaline faded and he was left feeling like an idiot. An idiot who was going to be forever known as such.

_"What are you talking about? I loved it!"_

...

They'd never really got the hugging thing right before. Besides from that time when they had to pretend to be a couple, it had always been Mindy hugging him while he just stayed as still as a statue. But this time was different. Maybe it was the wine she'd been guzzling, maybe it was the fact he had given her this wonderful present, maybe it was the fact that she was a little turned on still, but she was the one who ended it.

And she looked up at him. And his hand was lightly holding her arm, keeping her close to him. And in that moment she swore they were going to-

She never got to finished her brain monologue, as they pushed away from each other in shock at the interruption.

_"Woah, weird energy in here." _

Their eyes locked, and though it was a weird thing to be thinking - that you were very close to making out with someone you worked with who had been a source of great confusion in your life - it was a relief to know that she wasn't the only one thinking it.

She didn't listen to a word anyone said for the next few minutes, her mind going over and over and over what almost happened. And she came to a decision: she _wanted _it to happen.

_"Hey, I was gonna go and get a breath of fresh air." _

...

_"Yeah, I'm gonna stay." _Danny had been going over and over it too, and he hadn't quite come to the same conclusion as she. After all, Min was his work mate, she annoyed him like crazy, she was drunk, she was probably pity offering because he'd made a fool of himself... In fact, she probably didn't enjoy the dance at all and was just being nice because she was hurt herself.

He wished he could ignore how her face fell a little, but he figured that was just because even her pity make out was being rejected.

Danny felt a little stir of anger in his gut. How dare Cliff leave and make Mindy feel like this? Doesn't he see what he's missing out on? Doesn't he realise that Mindy is kind and funny and completely crazy but adorable? Is he too blind to realise how into him she is? Is he so idiotic to not know that spending time with Mindy are the memories you're going to remember forever?

He walked over to the window, telling himself that if Mindy was crying or looked upset, he was going to storm out there and tell her all those things himself. And if they ended up kissing then that was something that was obviously meant to happen and he would deal with the consequences then.

But he never got the chance.

Because Cliff was there.

And they were talking.

And then they were kissing.

...


End file.
